He said: “Whilst the Liberal Democrats welcome the announcement made by the council – following the council decision in July to promote a clean air zone for Bath, thanks to a Lib Dem proposal – it is too little too late.

“It is hard to see how the Conservative administration will produce concrete plans by next March to make the council compliant with the national standards by 2021.

“The uncomfortable truth is that Bath will only comply with the national standards if a dramatic reduction in car use along London Road takes place and the more polluting buses and HGVs are removed from the route.

“Residents have been waiting for two years for the Conservatives to come up with ideas that work.

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Sion Williams of the charity said: “The government plans appear to wash their hands of doing anything to protect thousands of people in the South West breathing dangerous air.

“Despite their own modelling showing that air pollution is going to choke Plymouth, Poole and South Gloucestershire residents for years to come, the government has decided to do precisely nothing about it.

“This is a despicable dereliction of duty. Ministers know as well as anyone that clean air zones are essential to give us breathable air fast.